The Amulet of St James
by Kieli
Summary: The Scoobie gang are in prep school in Sunnydale. Things start to get a little dicey with the arrival of a new girl, Tara Maclay as the Scoobies get pulled into a mystery surrounding a mystical artifact called The Amulet of St. James. Some W/T Slash.
1. Default Chapter

Title: The Amulet of St. James  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the gentle souls in this fic, though god knows I wish I knew them….Mutant Enemy and that wanker Joss Whedon get credit for their creation. I'm just fantasizing a little.  
  
Rating: Hmmm…good question…let's be safe and say PG-13, though no TRUE smut will ever be involved here. I would never in good conscience inflict my smut ineptness on good Kittens  
  
Spoilers: Well, none that I know of. This is just my little world. Very AU.  
  
Summary: The Scoobie gang are in prep school in Sunnydale. Xander is attending Wicklow Boys School, a rather strict place where his aunt sent to him to keep him from being abused by his parents. Willow, Buffy, Cordelia and Anya are attending Dal Riata Prep, a college prep school if there ever was one. Things start to get a little dicey with the arrival of a new girl, Tara Maclay as the Scoobies get pulled into a mystery surrounding a mystical artifact called The Amulet of St. James which was in shared custody by both schools but was lost sometime in the early 1800s.   
  
Many thanks to Sassette and choice others who opined a challenge to put the Scoobies in a prep school setting (as well as voiced a wish to see Willow and Tara in a school uniform ) This is just a test fic mostly. Hopefully you'll like it.  
  
  
  
  
Fall settled around Sunnydale like a comforting cloak as girls of varying ages filtered through the gates of the Dal Riata Preparatory School for Girls on the outskirts of town. Amber and red leaves carpeted the walkways, muting their steps and the sounds of youthful exuberance. The school grounds were spacious and well-kept with a beautiful mix of valley oak, redwood and pacific dogwood trees; the buildings made of stone that was old, refined and spoke of old money. While it was meant to be a boarding school, local residents had the option of either living on campus or catching the gleaming black school van to class.   
  
Willow Rosenberg always loved this time of year with the beginning of school and the slow dissipation of summer's heat. Dressed in a navy blue weskit with the school's Celtic-themed crest on the left side of her chest, matching skirt, blue oxford shirt and navy/burgundy striped tie, she looked every inch a scholar. Her best friend, Xander Harris, used to give her such a hard time about being academically inclined. "Geez, Will, what're ya tryin' to do? Make us all look bad? Now you've got my aunt actually expecting me to get good grades and stuff. What do I know about the Spanish Intuition? Who cares?" She had rolled her eyes at his mangling of historical facts and didn't bother to  
further the argument. She loved him dearly but sometimes he drove her completely nuts.  
  
"Hey Wills!" A rather perky blonde wearing a similar school uniform bounced up to give Willow a huge hug. "Ready for school? Doh! Stupid question. I'm talking to the girl who started outlining all of her notebooks in different colored pens a whole month ahead of time!"   
  
"Aw c'mon, Buffy give me a break. Xander's already been making my life miserable as it is. His aunt is clamping down on him and he's blaming me. Just because I happened to mention, in front of said aunt, that he should really pay more attention to his math class since he really is good at it, does not make me responsible," Willow muttered, her forehead creased in a frown. "Does it?"  
  
"Nah, don't worry about it. Xander needs a little kick in the tush every now and again. That's what friends are for. At least that's what I keep telling him every time I kick his butt in arm wrestling."  
  
Willow snickered and was about to reply when she and Buffy nearly collided with a tall, haughty brunette. "Hey, Rosenweird, watch where you're going!" the girl shouted. The group of girls hovering near her, that were surreptitiously called the Chasettes by those not fortunate enough to be part of the "In Crowd", cackled on cue.  
  
"Geez, Cordelia could you take up any more of the sidewalk?" Buffy groaned. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that your daddy paid for a new head transplant to contain your already overinflated ego."  
  
"Watch it, Summers. You're already at the top of the list of the Most Likely To Live in A Trailer Park. Don't get on my bad side because I am definitely NOT going to deal with you and your little freakshow this year."  
  
"Ooooh, Cordy…I think you've been brushing up on your threats over the summer. You might actually have me worried. NOT! What the hell does Xander see in you?" the blonde shook her head in mock wonder.  
  
"Hmph, I'm doing him a favor just being seen with him otherwise he'd have absolutely zero chance of redemption. Now piss off, Summers. We've got better things to do than mark time with the morons. " With a toss of her head,Cordelia Chase marched off with airheaded minions in tow.  
  
Willow glared after her, wondering how anyone in their right minds would bother fawning over Cordelia Chase much less date her. "I really have to talk to Xander about his taste in women. He should stop playing the "hard up"card."  
  
"Amen to that," Buffy echoed. "We'd better get to homeroom. I heard Mrs. Killian's husband got caught cheating and she's been moody ever since, " she sighed deeply. "Looks like we in for a totally rough semester."  
  
Willow nodded in sympathy as both girls entered the antiquated cobblestone building in the center of campus. They were completely unaware of a pair of ice-blue eyes watching them fearfully from the shelter of the pruned garden alcove to the right of the building. The young blonde to whom they belonged stepped from the safety of the alcove once she was sure all of the students had gone inside.  
  
"Well, it's now or never, kiddo. Time for a fresh start," she mused and silently entered the building. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two   
  
The first thing that hit her was the overall busyness of the school once she passed through the heavy oaken doors. The blonde peeked into open doors as she walked by, as if searching for something. The corridors felt warm and drowsy with the heat of Indian summer, giving the school an air of hominess and comfort. She finally found what she was looking for at the far end of the main hallway. The sign on the door read: Headmaster and Business Office. Drawing a ragged breath, the girl entered the room. A tall elderly woman greeted her with a bright smile. "Good morning, dear. How can I help you?"  
  
"I-I'm trying to find w-where my class is. I'm new here. "  
  
"Okay, well give me your name and we'll see what we can find."  
  
"T-tara. Tara Maclay"  
  
After a few minutes the secretary pulled up her schedule on a computer and printed it out. "Here we go. Now you're in Mrs. Killian's class, at least for the moment. She's in room 4B. That's out these doors, to the left at the end of the hall. All of the classes are marked by alphabet, just so's you know. Freshmen are in rooms marked D, Sophomores in C, Juniors in B and Seniors in A. Have a good day, dear," the secretary said brightly.  
  
"T-Thanks," Tara replied and made her way to homeroom.  
  
**********  
  
"Ravenwood?"  
  
"Here."  
  
"Rasewski?" Mrs. Killian's Irish accented voice droned on as Willow sat staring vacantly out of the window, inattentive to the murmuring undercurrent in the room as roll was being called.   
  
"Here."  
  
"Rosenberg?" The room grew preternaturally quiet as the students stared incredulously at the clueless Willow.  
  
"Miss Rosenberg?" Mrs. Killian's voice cracked like a whip through the air.   
  
Buffy whapped her friend on the arm to get her attention. "Ow! Hey what was that f--?"   
  
"Are you planning on being with us today or is there somewhere else you'd rather be, Willow?" Her teacher commented wryly.  
  
"No! No, I'm here. Sorry," she tried to make herself as small and invisible as possible underneath the weighty stares of her amused classmates. Mrs. Killian cocked an impeccably pruned eyebrow at her then continued calling out  
names.  
  
"Summers?"  
  
"Here." The rear door of the room practically made no sound as a blonde girl slipped into the room, hoping against all hope that she would not be noticed.  
  
"Can I help you, miss?" All eyes did a sudden about-face as their attention switched focus.  
  
"Uh-um…I think this is my homeroom. I-I just transferred in," Tara's face turned bright red with embarrassment. If there had been a hole nearby she might well have crawled into it.   
  
"Ah, yes, I see. Right here. I suppose you're Tara Maclay?" Tara nodded emphatically. "Well, don't just stand there. Find a seat and get yourself together. The bell for change of classes will be ringing in a few moments."  
  
The blonde's eyes searched the room for a vacant seat and, upon finding one closest to the door, settled into it. The initial curiousity of "the new girl" eventually wore off and the other students resumed their hushed conversations. All except for Willow. She continued to stare at Tara for a few moments more, feeling a bit of empathy and sadness for the newcomer.  
  
Willow turned to Buffy, her eyes a mystery. "Man, I would so hate be the new kid here. Cordelia's going to have a field day with. She's so shy," the redhead murmured.  
  
Buffy laid a comforting hand on her best friend's arm. "Don't worry, Wills. We'll look out for her. Show her the ropes. And show her who to avoid," she said, casting a meaningful look at the self-absorbed Cordelia Chase, who sat across the room in the place of honor amongst her groupies.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Come to think of it, she's kinda cute," Willow said half to herself.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Wha-? Oh nothing, it's just me, you know, babbling on with no apparent reason."  
  
A loud buzzing signaled the change of classes and the room came alive with book shuffling and hurried footsteps.  
  
"I'll see you at fifth lunch, Will. And don't be late because we promised we'd sneak off campus to rescue Xander from cafeteria duty."  
  
Willow sighed in resignation. "Ok ok, I got it. Don't be late. Right." She picked up her backpack and headed for the door, looking back only to see the new girl slowly gathering her things, as if in shock. "Poor kid. I know how you feel,"she mused inwardly and disappeared into the growing throng in the hallway.  
  
Mrs. Killian disdainfully watched Tara quietly leave the room, a slight sneer dancing at the corner of her lips. If she had been facing any way except for towards the back of the room, she would have seen the words "It's MY Turn Now", appear on the blackboard behind her and a screaming face puckering out of it.  
  
  
  
COMING SOON - CHAPTER THREE 


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three **

"So I said to her, I said, 'Cordy, don't you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?' And she gives me this look like, 'God, what am I thinking by slumming it with him?' Geez, am I a glutton for punishment or what?" Xander complained, his trademark sardonic grin firmly affixed to his face. He was busily chomping on a sandwich Willow and Buffy had managed to swipe from their school cafeteria, totally oblivious to the fact that his companions' eyes had long glazed over during his ramblings about his girlfriend.

"Xander?"

"Yeah, Buff?"

"You said there was a reason you wanted us to sneak out today. I say you explain yourself or you might have a dental side salad to go with that sandwich," she growled, her eyes boring a hole into him.

He winced and chuckled weakly. "Ok ok. Sheesh, can't a guy just want to see his best buds now and again?"

"Xander, it's not like you were sent to Alcatraz. You live down the freakin' street." Buffy grabbed him by the lapels of his rather shabby school-issued sports coat. "Talk! Now!"

"Urk" Xander gasped. "Airbreathing preferable."

Buffy released him and sat down beside an unusually quiet Willow on one of the stone benches hidden alongside Wicklow's Dining Hall. Xander's face lit up with excitement. 

"I hear," he drawled, "that everyone's all upset about some prized artifact that was part of Wicklow's Private Museum Collection. It's supposed to be, like, a million years old or something. Anyway, the Headmaster's all in a panic and stuff. He even had a big meeting with a bunch of Sunnydale hotshots, including DL's own Headmistress." He sat back smirking with his arms crossed.

Willow gave him an incredulous look. "We snuck off-campus to hear some gossip about an antique? One you're not even sure exists?!" Her voice hit the upper registers, letting everyone know that Mt. Vesuvius might blow any second. For a minute, Buffy thought Willow just might strangle him until his eyes bugged out.

Xander stared at the ground and shrugged his broad shoulders. "Well yeah, the thought about the whole "not-existing" part had occurred to me," he shrugged. "But there aren't that many teachers in Wicklow that are all that creative as far as tall tales are concerned. I figured it was worth checkin' out. A little cloak and dagger stuff. That could be fun!" he nodded emphatically, searching his friends faces for what he hoped would be some sort of forgiveness. "A-And there was that added bonus of seeing you guys.ya know, for the company."

The blonde chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "I think Xander's right. It's kinda odd that Old Droopy Drawers would come here to Wicklow for anything. Hell, I don't think she's ever left her office before. Hmph," she snorted. "Maybe that's why the teachers have been all kinds of bitchy lately. It's like the whole school got Group PMS overnight."

"Oooh yeah," Willow muttered, a slight frown creasing her brow "Mrs. Killian almost went all Anne Heche on this hot new girl. I really felt for her."

Xander's and Buffy's heads whipped around in surprise. "Ermdid you just say some girl was hot?!" they asked in unison.

The redhead's eyes became innocently vacant. "Wha—who me? UmI think you two are imagining things. Hello, minds, gutter, get them out of it."

They each gave her dubious looks and let it pass. "So what do you think's up, Buff? I mean who would bother with some old item that you probably would get five bucks for in an antique store?"

Buffy shook her head. "Dunno. I hate to sound all Nancy Drew-like, but I think we've got ourselves a mystery."

"Yeah well, it won't be a mystery why we'll be stuck in "The Dungeon" for the next week or two if we don't get back," Willow said wistfully. "I hate that place. It always smells like old gym shoes and smelly guys." She pulled a face and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"Hey now, that's the smell of studliness, thankyouverymuch," Xander said puffing out his chest and giving a rather pathetic imitation of Tim Taylor's manly grunting.

Both girls rolled their eyes at him. "Yeah well, you'd better get back to the cafeteria, Tarzan," Buffy chuckled. "Or else you'll be mopping the floors after school for the millionth time." They gathered their knapsacks and books that had been unceremoniously tossed into a corner beside their bench. The girls waved goodbye to Xander and promised to catch up with him later that afternoon.

"Hey Will, are you ok?" Buffy asked during their short trek back to Dal Rialta.

Willow shrugged slightly. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?" she replied in a noncommittal tone. Suuurre I'm just fineI've got this girl's face running through my head and I don't even KNOW her. She had soft-looking lipskinda edible looking actuallydown, girl! Time to take a powder there, hormones, before you get me all insane in the membrane.

"It's just you're all quiet todayit's doesn't bode well when you're not babbling about something or other."

Willow gave her friend a wry smile. "Gee, thanks. Could you be any more frank?"

"No not today. Frank's gone for the week. You're stuck with Buffy until he comes back. He needed a vacation; too many other voices in my head telling me what to do and stuff."

The redhead giggled helplessly. "Seriously, though, I'm fine. It's just—" she trailed off. Well it's just that I've got this major crush that came over me in like five seconds. And I'm having thoughts, naughty thoughtsthis from a Willow who is so seldom naughty. "—it's nothing. School and stuff. This year feels like it's going to be a little complicated for some reason, you know?"

Buffy linked her arm in Willow's and stared off into space. "Yep, I know. What are we gonna do about Xander's little mystery? Think it would be fun to look into?" 

Willow pondered it for a moment. "Sure, why not? I don't think it'll be all that. I am curious about why our Headmistress should be involved in something that has nothing to do with our school. One thing though," she grumbled. "We don't let Xander come along when we do the sneaky stuff. Remember what happened last time when he thought Mr. Snyder was a warlock and wanted see if it was true?" Willow's ears burned at the memory. They almost got arrested for breaking and entering because Xander misunderstood Buffy's instructions to get into their elderly neighbor's house and went through the yard to get inside instead of the garage. Snyder's pit bull, Tiny woke up half the neighborhood and a very anxious Sunnydale Deputy who lived next door came charging from his house with gun in hand, wearing only his polka dotted boxers and his badge pinned to the waistband. Willow didn't think she could be so mortified in her young life. Her parents read her the riot act and wouldn't let her out of their sight for a month. Even now, they have Buffy Summers and Xander Harris at the top of their list of Those Most Likely To End Up Poor or In Prison.

"Yeah we got lucky. Good thing the old meanie wasn't home. My mom pitched a royal fit but my dadyou know him. He barely noticed." Buffy's voice trailed off. "But I'm up for a little detective work. God knows I'll do anything to get out of doing my Geometry homework." 

The girls burst out laughing and broke into a run as they approached Dal Rialta's Main Hall. The bell signaling a change of classes clanged noisily in the still afternoon air.

Tara had been sitting in the shade of a large valley oak when Willow and Buffy came barreling through the school's massive stone gates. She stared after the vivacious pair, wishing that she had friends like that; fun, energetic, happy to be alive. Leaning back into the tree, the feeling of its rough bark and the cool grass beneath it helped to calm her turbulent thoughts. She'd been trying to concentrate on the crabbed runes that sprawled across the pages of the small, leather-bound book in her lap. 

However, the day was too nice, so warm and mellow, even with the sounds of frenzied activity inside the old buildings drifting out of various open windows. Running her fingers over the pages, Tara thought the runes felt alive, pulsating with energy. The corners of her mouth turned up in a slight frown. "Hmm, this isn't good. If there were mystical forces here, I would've sensed it before." Closing her eyes, Tara tried to focus on the dark, thrumming letters. 

**_"Dduwies chan 'r Deyrnas , canola 'm drem acha naill a chrwyn. Arddangos 'm 'r borth ffordd sy agor. Achlesa 'm chan 'i adwyth." ("Goddess of the Realm, focus my sight on the one who hides. Show me the doorways that are open. Protect me from its evil._**") While the pages themselves began to glow, the runes turned a deep, fiery red. Her hands gripped the book in fear as a rushing, roaring wind filled her mind. 

**_"'i s 'M chordda awron , ddewines! 'ch all mo achub 'u. 'r seintia ydy na hychwaneg!"_** (It's MY turn now, witch! You cannot save them. The saint is no more!)

The roaring increased its intensity and Tara feared that she would either black out or lose her essence completely to the power that had found its way in. Desperately she clung to what little control she maintained and shouted into the silences of her mind_** "Caea 'r Borth!"**_ (Begone!). Just as quickly as the doorway had opened, it resealed itself. Taking short, controlled breaths, Tara tried to will herself to be calm. She stood up, sweating and shaking, and gathered her things. She rushed into the Main Hall, realising that she was almost late for her next class. Brushing sudden, hot tears from the corners of her eyes, she felt helpless and scared.

"Not again," she thought cried inwardly. "This was supposed to be different. They said I would be safe here."

Tara rounded a corner at the top of the stairs taking her to the Junior level and collided forcefully with a girl coming out of the nearest classroom. Books, arms and legs went flying as both girls hit the floor.

"Oof!"

"Ow!"

The blonde sat up, rubbing her head. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so c-careless." Her blue eyes searched the fallen redheaded girl, hoping she hadn't harmed her.

"That's ok." the redhead replied, wincing painfully at a particularly sore spot on her hip. "I'm a spaz anyway. A hazard to anything that moves."

Tara let out an involuntary chuckle at the girl's attempt at humor. She held out her hand to help her up. "Umm..my name is Tara. And I r-really am sorry."

The girl took Tara's hand and heaved herself off the floor, straightening out her clothing as she went. An almost liquid warmth flowed between them as their hands touched. The redhead took a hitching breath, barely able to stammer out her name. "W-Willow. Willow Rosenberg." 

"O-oh, I know you," Tara smiled. "Y-you're in my homeroom, right?" Willow could only nod as any prior command of language that she had went out the window. "W-want me to help you pick up your books?"

Willow managed to snap out of her self-induced trance. "No! ErmI mean no that's ok. As long as you're all right too then there's no harm done." A slow flush rose from her neck to her scalp as she realised she hadn't yet released Tara's hand. "Oh! Sorry," she apologised.

"T-That's ok. S-so. I'll see you a-around?" Tara asked as she picked up her bag.

"Sure! You bet. I'll be here. Not. Going. Anywhere." The blonde gave her a wave and hurried off once again. Willow bent to pick up her own knapsack when she spied a leather-bound book on the floor beside her feet. Figuring it must be Tara's she tried to get her attention. "Hey! You forgot something!" Her voice trailed off as she saw the blonde getting farther and farther away.

Shrugging her shoulders, she picked up her bag and went down the stairs. "Oh well. At least this gives me an excuse to see her again." Willow massaged the deep grain leather book cover with her fingertips. "**_ 'r Llyfr chan Bilyn Mahr?_**" Her nose wrinkled in confusion. "I wonder what the heck that means," Willow wondered and stuffed the book deep into her bag. Inside, the book glowed and throbbed dully in the darkness.  


**TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
